Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-05-13
THE NATIONAL DRILL.
A Grand Affair to be Held in Washing.
ton the Fourth Week in May.
Nineteen Governors Have Accepted
Invitations to be Present.-S26,-
500 to be Given in Prizes.

WASHINGTON, d, c., May 10.-'I advise
you to engage your room now if you in
tend to witness the national drill and en-
campment in this city next month.
There'll be more people here than you
ever saw at a presidential Inauguration
the city will not hold them all, and Balti-
more is already preparing to take care of
the overflow. think there will be half a
million strangers in Washington-the city
will be full, anyway"
The speaker was Mr.. 7. C. De Leon,
managing secretary of the national drill
and encampment. The encampment will
begin on May %, and all commands that
are to take part in it are expected to be
here by that time; some, especially those
from distance will probably arrive be-
fore that day. The site of the camp will
be the monument lot and the grounds
south of the white house, permission to
use them for that purpose having been
given by the war department. The camp
will be divided into three or four brig
AIDES, each undor command of brigadier
General, and the whole will be under the
command of Major General whose name
has not yet been announced, but who will
be either distinguished officer of the
regular army or the senior militia
officer who brings a command to the
drill; if the latter, it will probably
be Governor Fitzhugh Lee, of Vir-
ginla. The encampment will be called
CAMP GEORGE WASHINGTON.
The entries comprise 142 companies of
infantry, artillery, Zouaves and cadets,
representing thirty-one states, two terri
tories and the District of Columbia. The
exact number of men is not yet known,
but it is estimated that there will be be-
tween 1000 and 5000 in camp, and they
will be quartered in from $500 to 5000
tents. The government of the camp will
be regular and rigid, according to army
regulations, thus giving those who parti-
cipate an idea of actual service such as
most of them have never had. All oou
mands are to be subject to camp duty,
regular inspections at quarters, daily
dress parades and will be required to
obey all rules, regulations and orders that
may be promulgated by the commandant
for the routine of camp duty or other
purposes. Tents or barracks and straw
for bed sacks will be furnished to the
men, or If any organization brings its
own tents, flooring will be furnished and
the cost of transportation both ways will
| be paid. There will be camp restaurant
at which meals will be furnished at 33
cents each, but any command desiring to
do its own cooking will be furnished with
fuel and mess G oIarters. Arrangements
Nave been made W. Ii all the principal rail-
way companies o. the country for the
transportation to Washington and return
of all commands entered for the drill at
| lower rates than were ever made before,
and most of the roads will make very
r. 4
public.
THE PRIZES.
To secure payment of all prizes for ex-
cellence of drill, amounting to S26,5OO
in money, besides stands of colors, flags
trophies, medals of merit, etc, and all
other expenses, $4,000 was subscribed
by citizens of the District of Columbia
and congress, by joint resolution, author
lied ithe striking at the United States
mint of one grand medal of honor and
nineteen lesser medals to be presented to
the competitors adjudged most worthy
of them by the president of the United
States, as commander in chief or by
representative whom he may delegate
The prizes are to be as follows: For the
best regiment of infantry, judged by in
| spection and review, stand of colors and
gold. silver and bronze medals to the of
ticers. For the best battalion of infantry,
of not less than four companies, $4,000;
second prize, $1,000. For the best com
pany of infantry, $4,000, with four other
prices of S2,500, 1880, 81 900 and $500
respectively. For the best company of
cavalry, $1,000; second prize, 81 900. For
the best platoon of light artillery, 1900:
second prize, $1,000. For best machine
gun platoon, silver trophy and $3.50;
second prize, $500. For best zouave drill,
$1,000; second prize, $3.50. For the best
cadet corps, $1,000; second prize, $3.50.
For the best drilled individual soldiers,
first prize gold medal and 500; second
prize, a silver medal and $75; third prize,
bronze medal and $50. For the best
rifle shooting; eight prizes, first gold
medal and 800; three prizes consisting
of silver medal and $75 each; four
prizes consisting OF bronze medal and
$50 each.
INVITATIONS ACCEPTED.
The encam pment, beginning May %,
will continue g week. Every day there
will be street parades and displays, beside
the dress parades and exercises in camp.
Wednesday, May 25, will be Governors
Day" when all the governors whose states
are represented by troops in camp, with
the adiutant general and inspector gen
| eral of each state, have been invited to be
| present at grand review which is to be
given IN their honor on nsylvania ave
nue.. Nineteen governors have already ac-
cepted the invitation and announced their
intention of being present, and half a
dozen more say that they will come if
possible. Sey eral large military organi-
cations, including one or two New York
| regiments, which will not go into camp,
will probably participate in the parade on
that day.
Memorial Sunday, May %, will be OBJ
served IN camp as "ChaplaiE's Day"
Appropriate religious services will be
held and sermons preached by some of
the most distinguished divines in the
country.
NENoRIAL DAY,
May 80, will be the last day in camp, and
the entire body of troops will be invited
to join the posts of the Grand Army of
the Republic in the annual memorial
service at the National Cemetery at Airing
ton. The procession will probably be the
most imposing that ever went across the
Potomac to decorate the graves of the
fallen soldiers of both sides who are
buried there. The flower of the militia of
NhV I'Oibu VI lnc Coulu VIII JOIN IN
the grand escort, and the scene as the
men who wore the blue and those who
wore the grey join in their tributes to the
patriotism of the martyrs of a quarter
ot century ago, will be one of the most
imp essivs IN our recent history.
great deal has been said about the
color line" in connection with the La
tional drill and encampment. The board
of management has taken no action on
this subject, and has had no occasion to
do so. All companies of militia regularly
organized under the laws OF their respec-
tive states were invited to join the en-
campment and participate in the compe-
tition, and no distinction has been made
on account of color. One company of
colored men from the District of Colum-
bia and two from Virginia made applica-
tion for entry. and were accepted. Subse-
quently the commanders of several South
ern companies wrote to Managing Secre-
tsry De Leon, asking him in regard to the
matter, and he replied in each case, stating
the facts as given above. Three compa-
nies of the Montgomery (Ala.l True Blues
and Greys and the Atlanta Rifles have de-
cided not to participate in the drill Two
companies in Texas, two in Mississippi
1 and one in North CaroIipa ~ 5a ,ro-;-,.-